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I put my hand over her phone, pushing it gently to the table. “No. I won’t involve those who are on his team. Hockey is all he’ll have left when everything blows up with his company. He needs his teammates right now more than ever.”
She sighed. “Then stay with me.”
I shook my head. “I appreciate your generosity more than I can say, but I can’t stay in Minnesota. I have to get back to my apartment, my world, the magazine where I work. It’s been a great holiday here, reminding me of what I wanted to do with my life and getting back to my roots with investigative journalism. And I loved making a difference with the articles about Molly and the Cavaliers and getting to know all of you. You’ve done more for me than you’ll ever know, but you’re part of Ransom’s world. And I’m no longer in his. I have to go my own way now.”
Harmony crossed her arms. “Don’t make a choice between you and him for the rest of us. The girls and I care about you and we won’t give up on you even if you push us away. You know that, don’t you?”
I felt the tears pricking my eyes. “You don’t have to. We all just move on eventually, don’t we?”
She shook her head. “I find it incredibly difficult to move on. Once I love, I love with my whole heart. You’ve become one of us and you’re too important to let go.”
I choked back a sob. “You are really too sweet, Harmony.”
Once Harmony left and I was waiting for my flight, I started the process of letting go. Minnesota had snuck up on me, made me love it, and now it was going to hurt like hell to leave.
34
RANSOM
She was already gone. Back to New York. So, all I could do was sit in my truck in the parking lot of the rink and stare. I should be inside at practice. My phone buzzed a dozen times, but seeing it wasn’t her I couldn’t even answer.
My head was throbbing. I lost her. Just the way I was always afraid I would.
She wouldn’t answer or return my calls. In fact, when I tried to call last, she sent me straight to voicemail. She probably blocked me. I went from friend to lover to blocked in less than a month and it shredded me. I felt like I was bleeding out. I wished I was.
When I saw Hank, Ilya, and Chris step out the door of the rink and scan the parking lot, it wasn’t a shock when they strode toward me. They looked pissed. They could join the fucking club. I hated myself too.
“Pierce, get out of the fucking truck,” Ilya shouted as they approached. “You’re supposed to be inside.”
I knew that. Just couldn’t make my feet go.
Hank tore the truck door open and punched me in the arm. “Get out. It’s time to have a talk.”
I closed my eyes for a second. This was the end. They were about to kill me. At least it would put me out of my misery.
Sliding out of the seat, I leaned up against the truck. Ilya pushed the door closed as the three of them lined up in front of me.
Without warning, Ilya tagged me with a right hook. My neck snapped with the force of it, but it was fine. I deserved that and more. Hank made his feelings known with more than a few punches to the ribs. Then Chris unleashed on me until I felt blood drip down my face.
As I slumped to the ground, letting the truck wheel prop me up, Hank squatted down. “You know this is coming mostly from our women, right?”
I grunted. Yeah, I knew that.
“But a little from us too,” Chris said, his eyes flashing. “What the fuck did you do to Phoebe?”
I let my eyes fall closed. “Temper spiked.”
The guys bit out curses, then seemed to convene above me whispering to each other. When they separated, they looked down on me with a little more sympathy this time.
Ilya crouched to look me square in the eye. “You want her back?”
I tilted my head to gaze up at him. “Course.”
He huffed. “Get your ass up, get back on your feet, and win her back.”
Hank snorted. “’Cause if you don’t, you won’t survive the next group gathering. Those women will tear you apart. They’re all beside themselves that she left.”
I nodded. I knew he was right. Those women were already bonded. Phoebe finally found friends who loved her for who she was and I fucked it up for her.
